HigherEdJobs Podcast

In this Ask the Expert episode, expert Dr. Lee advises that job seekers looking to be an effective candidate for any career in higher education must do the heavy lifting of clearly and eloquently describing themselves and their skills for hiring committees. Dr. Lee mentions that you must know yourself, identify your key competencies, and then be sure to marry all your skills for the position and career you are seeking. Check out this webcast for more tips and tricks. Have a question you want to hear answered on Ask the Expert? Click here to send us your question!

Why does it seem that around age 40, many professionals start doubting their confidence and career mobility? Kelly and Andy welcome Dr. David Blake -- who calls himself an HR geek, recovering academic, former CHRO and COO -- to discuss why this happens and explore tips for job seekers in this 'over-40' category.Dr. Blake acknowledges that this stage is normal. "You've been in the workforce for about 20 years now," he says. "I just think it is a natural byproduct of the thought process that we go through as we advance in our careers." Additionally, he addresses common myths and shares insight on how to tackle specific challenges, such as overqualification. 

In this Ask the Expert episode, expert Dr. Christopher D. Lee shares ways to move into a management role even when your institution doesn't have a formal track for doing so. Dr. Lee explains that there are various reasons why institutions may not provide a formal track. Regardless, he says that "one should assume the responsibility as their own kind of career planner and plan to grow and find future opportunities, whether or not their institution has a program to do so." From webinars and workshops to professional certifications, Dr. Lee guides us through options for preparing yourself for a leadership track.Have a question you want to hear answered on Ask the Expert? Click here to send us your question!

Are you considering a leadership position in your department or at your institution? Dr. Marjorie Hass, author of "A Leadership Guide for Women in Higher Education," joins Kelly and Andy to share advice for "women and those who want to lead like them." "Anytime you have not been socialized to think of yourself as a leader, I think you need a lot of support to move in that direction, and many of the women that I've worked with in the course of my career have not come to see themselves in that way," Hass explains. She shares advice and tips for the identity issues that come with seeking a leadership position -- for women and others interested in leadership -- and corrects the false narrative about leadership being a solo endeavor.

Expert Matt Trainum discusses what questions a job seeker can ask to see if the employer and the department fit their expectations.Matt offers several questions that can help you to learn about the 'rougher edges' of the department. He also shares how evaluating the questions that employers ask you can be vital in evaluating fit.Have a question you want to hear answered on Ask the Expert? Click here to send us your question!

Are you looking to move to a new department or institution? In this episode, Kelly and Andy speak with Dr. Cameron Beatty, an assistant professor in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Department at Florida State University, about strategies for making these transitions. Historically, staying in a role for three to five years was recommended to demonstrate that you've gained experience. However, today, both junior and senior professionals are moving from one office to another or from one campus or institution type to another, according to Dr. Beatty. He shares his thoughts on being a generalist in higher education, communicating your transferable skills, and other strategies for best positioning yourself to change roles.

Expert Matt Trainum answers a question about reaching out to employers when there has been no communication regarding the job posting or your application.Matt offers that a lack of communication is not about the candidate, it is about the HR office and their system. In higher ed, it is not uncommon that you will not get responses from jobs that you apply for, remember that this is an administrative issue not a personal issue. Have a question you want to hear answered on Ask the Expert? Click here to send us your question!

The phrase "rage applying" is a new term for going on a resume-sending spree, according to an article on the topic from our regular contributor, Justin Zackal. In this episode, Kelly and Andy respond to Justin's article and add their insights about dealing with frustrations at work and whether rage applying can be a good thing.After listening, do you have any thoughts on rage applying?Email us at podcast@higheredjobs.com with any further questions! 

Expert Matt Trainum answers a question for a job seeker on how to leverage LinkedIn and their network for a competitive job search. Matt advises us to have authentic conversations regardless of which platform you are using to build and maintain your network. Have a question you want to hear answered on Ask the Expert? Click here to send us your question!

A couple of months back we asked HigherEdJobs job seekers for some of the 'best interview questions' and some of the 'worst interview questions' that they have been asked in an interview. In this episode, Kelly and Andy discuss how to deal with bad interview questions from ones that make you uncomfortable (that may even be illegal) to curveballs you can't begin to predict (such as 'what color crayon would you be?').